Secrets
by NeverGiveUp3
Summary: They were partners, best friends, practically brothers. They had each other's back almost everyday, but secrets can tear anyone apart; even the closest of friends.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, All! If you're currently reading this authors note, I love you! Thanks for giving this story a chance. However, they're a couple things I would like to point out before I get started. I have just started watching ****_Hawaii Five-0_**** – thanks to having no television at the moment and the library. I've seen a good amount of episodes (only most of season 2). I haven't seen Season 3 yet. But I want to apologize in case I do not capture the characters personality as well I possibly could. This is also ****_fan fiction_****. So please, if you don't like how I portray the characters, then I'm very sorry! Also, the chapters will be longer. This is just the opening. **

**Please, if you would like me to continue, review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****_Hawaii Five-0_****, nor am I making any money from this. However, if I ****_did _****own the show, I would hug Alex forever and ever.**

* * *

**Secrets**

Chapter One: Help

Pain – a familiar feeling for Steven McGarrett, ex-Navy SEAL and the Five-0 task force leader of Hawaii. Whether it was emotional or physical, Steve had been through it. From finding out about his mother and father's death, to being stabbed, shot at, and thrown out of moving vehicles; he had dealt with it. But right now, he was in a lot of physical pain.

His eyes shot open, and all he saw was black. His shoulder flared with pain with every movement, every breath. He wanted to stop breathing, stop the pain, but that would only kill him. He could live through a little pain. He had done it all his life, and he didn't plan on stopping now.

The dark haired SEAL sighed, as the familiarity of his home welcomed him. He mustered a tiny smile as he stared up at the ceiling, the same two-inch long crack that was there yesterday, was there today, and he was happy. He was happy that he had another chance to stare at it.

The events of yesterday were fresh in his mind, and he knew he shouldn't be there. He shouldn't be alive.

Working with the Five-0 task force of Hawaii was a privilege, Steve knew. He loved each and every one of his team-mates. He trusted them with his life, and yesterday, when he needed them the most, they didn't fail.

It had been a routine operation; Detective Danny Williams (_his _partner, and best friend), along with Officer Kono Kalakaua and Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly and of course, himself, had caught a break in a case that had lasted much too much; 3 weeks. It normally took the group of four days – and if lucky, _a day_, to solve a crime, but this one had them stumped.

The media called him '_The Hose Killer'; _It wasn't very original, but the public got the point. The Hose Killer killed anyone – he didn't have a preference. He simply _killed_, and he was good at it. How he killed, was what had Five-0 initially shocked.

He would knock the victims out, on most cases using chloroform. In a matter of minutes, he would hang them from anything that could support their weight. He slid their head into a hole he formed with the gardening hose. He'd kick the chair out from under them, and eventually, they would be dead.

At first it looked like suicide, that's what the Hawaiian Police Department first thought it was, but McGarrett and his crew knew better; and before they it, they were chasing a serial killer. They had been careful, not knowing just as dangerous this killer was. But yesterday, yesterday they slipped up. Yesterday, they screwed up. Yesterday, they stopped being careful.

Steve McGarrett winced as he lay in his bed, shirtless. A thick, white bandage was wrapped around his right shoulder, a bloody, red stain shown through, and he knew he would have to get it changed soon. It took a lot of pestering, but he got out of the hospital, grateful that he didn't have to spend a night there.

McGarrett and hospitals do not mix well.

The events of yesterday continued to flash through Steve's mind like a broken record. It was choppy, and he didn't remember a lot of it, but he recalled his team-mates shouts, cries, grunts, and moans. He remembered the distant sound of an ambulance and back up, arriving at the scene. He remembered the distinct shout of his partner, his best friend, his non-biological brother, Danny Williams.

"_Steve, hey buddy, stay with me okay. Eyes on me. . ." _

The New Jersey native had rested Steve's head in his lap, as he tried to apply pressure to both of the gunshot wounds; one in his shoulder, the other in his abdomen.

His friend's voice was distant, and the darkness around him grew; but Steve remembered his Naval training, and he had to keep his eyes open. Just a couple more minutes before the ambulance would arrive and he would be in safe hands. He remembered the fight, the fight he needed to have to keep his heavy eyelids from closing on him. It was the hardest battle he had ever fought, an eventually he lost. The last thing he heard was Danny, shouting, panicking, and shaking him.

"_Steve, hey! Don't leave me, man. Eyes on—" _

But it had been too late, Steve had closed his eyes.

Lightning flashed across the sky, as Steve tore his gaze away from the crack in the ceiling. He painfully rolled over on his left side – his good side – and stared at his digital clock. _7:47am; Wednesday. _

He crawled out of bed and stood. His hands reached out and grabbed the bed's headboard, steadying his shaky knees. Steve winced as he looked down at his second bandaged, which was wrapped tightly around his lower stomach. He had been shot at plenty of times before, but something felt different about this.

After a couple of moments, he pushed himself away from the bed, stumbling towards the bathroom. On his way there, he occasionally reached out and grabbed the wall, afraid his legs would give way, sending him tumbling towards the floor.

The usual bathroom trip in the morning took ten to fifteen minutes longer than usual for Steve McGarrett. Instead of brushing his teeth with his right hand, he had to try it with his left, and sadly, he couldn't do _anything _with his left hand. In the end, toothpaste was all over the place, his lips, his chin, a little below his eye; but he got the job down eventually. Next, he use to toilet, and luckily, that was easy. But as he stood up and washed his hands, his eyes fell on the bathtub, and he inwardly cursed.

There was no way in his condition was he going to be able to take a shower. Luckily, he couldn't take a shower. He couldn't get his bandages wet.

Steve sighed as he walked out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom. The room was dark, since no natural light was shining through the windows, thanks to the rain and dreary weather outside. Forgetting for a split millisecond, Steve flipped on the over head light, using his _right hand. _He was momentarily blinded as a white light flashed before his eyes, and a jolt of pain shot through his shoulder. He clutched his arm, cursing and yelling profanity at the top of his lungs. It took all of his willpower to keep from dropping to his knees. Tears developed in his eyes, but they refused to fall.

The moment was over; a long painful moment, but it was done. The pain subsided, but a throbbing feeling was still there as Steve continued on with his day.

He slowly, even slower then before, made his way over to his made. With his good arm, he tossed the covers up to the top, and hoped they looked better. It was as close to a 'made bed' as it would get. Steve then walked over to his nightstand and took his iPhone off its home base, fully charged. He had two unread texts and a missed call.

The two text's were from Danny.

_From: Danny_

_Hey Steve, I heard you were released from the hospital. I wish I could've been there, but Grace was staying with me last night and I had to get her back to my dump of an apartment. I was wondering how you were doing. Text or call me as soon as you can. _

Steve stifled a smile as he read the next text; this one was sent earlier this morning, at 6:13 am.

_From: Danny_

_Yo Steve, the office is mighty quiet without you around. I know you. . .and I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to come to work today. So let me save you the trouble of getting dressed with one arm and tell you __**do not come! **__If you do come, I might have to shoot you in the other shoulder. Seriously, Buddy, don't test me._

The Navy SEAL was in a full blown smile as he exited out of the texts. He probably should reply, but texting with one hand could be a bitch, and he didn't want to have to do it.

Next was the phone call. Whoever it was had left a voicemail, which Steve listened to. He plopped down onto his bed, his grey sweatpants riding up on him. He sighed as a voice he didn't recognize at first, spoke. It was a woman, for sure.

_"Hello, Steve? Um. . .I know you won't recognize this number, but its Rachel; Rachel Edwards, Danny's ex—"_

Steve nodded knowingly, as if Rachel could see him now. He remembered her.

_"—I'm so sorry If I'm bothering you. I know you must be a busy man, but I need your help. I. . .I can't go to Danny with this. And I know you and Danny are practically brothers. . .So if Danny can trust you with his life, then I can surely trust you with this. I can't talk about it on the phone. . .I. . .Can we meet up somewhere? Anywhere, really. Just as long as Danny doesn't know about it. Please, you can't tell him I called you Steve. I really need your help. I don't admit this a lot, but I'm __**scared**__. Call me back as soon as possible. T-thanks." _

**_~ To be Continued..._**


	2. Chapter 2: Secret Meetings

**A/N****: **Wow! I want to thank all of you guys for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I honestly didn't expect much of a reaction, but I'm glad I did! I love you all, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Now, I wonder why Rachel called Steve. . .

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own _Hawaii Five-0_ nor am I making any money from this; sadly.

**Warning: **Mention of rape.

* * *

**Secrets **

Chapter Two: Secret Meetings

Detective Daniel Williams, more formally known as 'Danny', groaned as he plopped down in his office chair. The night had been long, and you could tell by his appearance. Like the usual, he had on his black slacks – dress pants – along with a white dress shirt. The shirt wasn't fully buttoned, and his black tie was thrown around his neck, nowhere near being tied.

Nobody that belonged to the Five-0 task force slept last night. Their leader, Commander Steve McGarrett, had been shot and severely injured the day before. He was rushed to the hospital where they did emergency surgery, hoping the two bullets – one in his shoulder, the other in his abdomen – didn't do significant damage. That evening had been tense, and the blonde, New Jersey Detective, had held his breath for 56 minutes in the waiting room, before a nurse came in and told him – and his team-mates, that McGarrett would be alright.

"You know, you could've at least gotten _fully _dressed this morning."

The teasing, male voice made Danny look up from his desk and smile. "You know, Lieutenant, I didn't think sneaking up on people was your forte." He interlocked his fingers and hands, and rested them on his desk.

"Funny," Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly laughed as he leaned up against the doorframe, arms crossed. "You heard anything from McGarrett yet?" Danny shook his head, tearing his gaze away from his teammate and looking at his cell phone that sat on the desk.

"No, nothing."

As if on cue, the two Five-0 agents turned and looked at the empty office that belonged to Steve. The door was closed, the curtains pulled shut. "He'll be fine," Chin nodded, walking further into the office and resting his hand on the detective's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I know, I know," Danny sighed as he sat back, his chair squeaking under his weight. He folded his arms, turning his attention towards the outside. His window had a great view outside. His eyes were outside, but his mind was elsewhere; thinking, wondering, _and worrying. _

After a moment of silence, the New Jersey native turned his chair back towards Chin. The squeaking made him wince, but he ignored it. "I know he's going to be okay, Chin, physically anyways. I'm just worried about up here," Danny pointed his index finger at his head, sighing.

"If Steve is anything, it's sane."

Danny stood up now, grabbing his Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappucino from his desk. The cool drink was refreshing as he placed the green straw into his mouth and sucked. He closed his eyes, blocking out every living thing around him. The only thing that mattered now was the cool drink that sat in his hands. When he opened his eyes again, Chin was still there, arms crossed.

"Listen," Danny licked his lips, standing on his heels. "Steve and 'sane', sadly, do not belong in the same sentence. If anything, he's _in_sane." Chin simply laughed, before his cousins voice made him turn around.

"Hey, Chin, Danny, come here."

Officer Kono Kalakaua had just entered Five-0 HQ. She stood beside the smart table, all four plasma TV's were turned off; resting. Her left leg leaned up against the table, her arms folded, eyes focused on the locked up office in front of her. Chin and Danny stepped out a moment later, Danny's Frap still grasped tightly in his hand. "What's up, Cuz?"

"We got a case?" Danny questioned, standing a little straighter.

Every day for the past month, the Five-0 squad had received a call from Steve, telling them they had a case. But as of today, they had nothing; everything was silent. It was almost as if the criminals had met together and taken the day off.

"I don't know, I mean, usually Steve tells us we have a case. Maybe he has a folder on his desk with a case inside." She replied. The two men glanced at each other, and then turned toward Steve's office. "Besides, you see his office phone?" The men nodded. "The red light's blinking, meaning he has a message. I've been here for three minutes, and that phone has rang at least three times. If someone's trying to get in contact with Steve, we could at least help out?"

A moment of silent was given as the three stared at McGarrett's closed office door, all three of them thinking the exact same thing.

"No." Danny broke the silence, shaking his head back and forth. "No way in hell," He turned and looked at his two teammates, still shaking his head. "We do _not _break into McGarrett's office just to see who is calling him."

"Come on, Danny!" Chin turned and stared at the shorter man, excitement evident in his voice. "Just think of this as a little adventure."

"Yeah, and adventure where I get my ass whooped."

Kono chuckled. "Danny, who would kiss your ass? Steve isn't here." Danny shook his head.

"Okay, are we forgetting that we work for a ninja? He'll find out, he always does. Besides, we don't have any way to get in."

Kono smiled again, taking a key out of her pocket. "I do."

"Where did you get that?" Her cousin, Chin, asked in bewilderment. She just smiled, already making her way to the door. Chin quickly followed, leaving Danny still standing beside the smart table.

He quietly cursed before setting down his drink and walking towards the door, where Kono stood, inserting the key. "Steve's just going to blame me, he always does," Danny mumbled to himself. The lock _clicked_, and Kono pushed the door open.

The three stood, crowded around the entrance of the door, not daring to breathe. The office looked clean and in pristine condition, almost as if it hadn't been touched in months. Even the air on the other side of the door smelt different; thicker, muggier.

"When was the last time a window was open in here?" Danny questioned, his words dripping with his Jersey accent. The short detective stepped into the room, making a beeline for the windows. He pulled the shades up and lifted a window, allowing a cool, ocean like breeze to blow through the room.

Chin stepped into the room and laughed. "Man, I feel like nobody is allowed in here unless McGarrett brings them in."

"That's pretty much how it works, Cuz."

Danny sighed as he moved around the desk, sitting in the giant, rolling chair. Kono and Chin joined him, both of them leaning up against the desk; three pairs of eyes, eyeing the telephone. Danny nodded, leaning forward as Kono pressed the voicemail button, ready to listen to the messages on their Boss's office phone.

_"Steve McGarrett," _The automatic voice greeted. _"You have eight missed messages." _

"Whoa," Danny exclaimed, "Even _my _phone doesn't know my name. Chin, can you hook something like that up for me and my p—" Chin held up his hand, cutting Danny off as the mechanical voice continued.

_"—First message, sent on Friday, July 12__th __at 5:34 am. Beep. Hello Commander McGarrett, it's Governor Denning. I just wanted to thank you in advance for stopping the serial killer dubbed The Hose Killer. I will be leaving the island for a little while, so please, try not to blow up the whole damn island before I get back. Beep."_

Danny rubbed his chin, a smile plastered all over his face. "What's so funny?" Kono questioned.

The blonde simply shrugged. "Nothin', just that I can see McGarrett blowing up Hawaii with one of his stupid grenades." The two cousins laughed as the voice continued.

_"Second message sent Saturday, July 13__th__ at 2:00pm. Hey, Steve, it's um. . .It's Catherine—"_

Danny shifted in his seat. He didn't feel right going through his friends stuff, and he quickly tapped a button, shutting off the machine. Kono and Chin whirled around.

"What the hell was that for? It was just getting good!"

"Too good," Chin added, crossing his arms.

"Look, I know what it's like to have people going through my voicemail, and trust me, it isn't fun. All we came in here for was to check and see who's been calling Steve this morning. So why don't we just skip to that."

Kono and Chin nodded, agreeing. Danny hit play this time, skipping every voicemail, stopping at the fifth one.

_"Fifth message, sent today at 5:30 am. Beep. Steve? Hi, It's Rachel; Rachel Edwards? Danny's ex—"_

The detective sat up in his seat just at the voice of his ex. He slowly stood up as he heard his name, his ears straining to hear every detail of the voicemail.

Why was Rachel calling Steve?

Kono flinched towards the 'end' button, ready to stop the message before it could even get started. Her hand had already started reaching out towards the machine, when Danny grabbed her arm. The look in his blue eyes was fierce, stopping the rookie in her place. "You touch that button and I kill you. . ." Of course, the detective wouldn't truly _kill _one of his teammates, but his point cut across; and as fast as Kono had raised her hand, she lowered it.

_"—Um. I'm going to try your cell phone; I just assumed you were at work, even at this early hour. Anyways, I really need to talk to you. Thank you, Bye. Beep."_

Kono sighed as she cut off the voicemail, not needing to hear the last two messages, assuming they were from the same person; Rachel. The two turned to Danny, who stood there, his eyebrows connected, trying to figure out why his ex wife was calling his partner.

Chin answered the unasked question. "Maybe she—" The intense ringing of Danny's cell phone cut them off.

". . .Williams?" 

Chin and Kono stood there waiting, watching as Danny occasionally nodded his head. "Okay. No we can do it. Okay. Okay. Thanks."

Kono raised her eyebrow at Danny as he walked out the office. The cousins followed, Chin locking the door behind them. "We have a missing person's case."

"When did Five-0 start doing Missing Person cases?" Chin asked as Danny began tying his tie, on his way out.

"Since w_e _didn't have any other cases, now come on."

* * *

Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett held his breath and winced as he slid into a comfortable booth at one of the many Starbucks in Hawaii. As he settled in, he finally focused on the beautiful woman in front of him.

"Thanks for coming," The woman's thick British accent was quite distinguished. She smiled as McGarrett nodded. He shifted in the booth, feeling the tight pressure of the bandage that stayed hidden under his black tee.

Steve clasped his hands together, setting them on the table. His jaw was taunt, his face unreadable. His eyes darted back and forth between the entrance of the small coffee shop, to the costumers in line, then outside, to the cars driving by. "So," His gaze finally landed back on the woman sitting in the seat opposite of him. "What's all this about?" Rachel sighed, wiping her nose with a tissue.

"Steve, you have to _promise _me you won't tell Daniel about this."

The SEAL's eyes narrowed as he read the woman, his head tilting slightly to the side. She looked scared, terrified even; and he nodded without another moment's hesitation. "I promise, Rachel." She nodded, and then lowered her head, staring at her wedding ring.

"I-it all started back in New Jersey—"

Steve leaned forward slowly, initially regretting the decision as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He winced, but listened closely, knowing she would only tell this story once.

"—Daniel and I had just gotten married. We were in love. . .God, I miss those days," Rachel smiled, remembering the fond memories. "Well, Danny worked at the New Jersey Police Department. . .He had a partner, Isaac Trenton—"

"How long were they partners?"

"Not long," Rachel shook her head, her hoop earrings dangling harmlessly at her side. "He was there before Rick Peterson." Steve nodded, remembering the name.

Rick Peterson, the dirty ex-cop Danny had put away for stealing things from the crime scene. Also known as the man who kidnapped Grace, Danny's daughter.

"Keep going. . ."

"Well, usually after a long day, Danny would bring Issac home, just to relax, watch television, stuff like that. It happened quite often, and I could honestly say that Issac was a good guy, and eventually my friend. . ."

"Was Gracie born yet?"

"No," Rachel shook her head again, clutching her used tissue in her hand. "No, not yet." Again, Steve nodded, waving her ahead.

"Continue. . ."

"It happened once when Danny wasn't home. Isaac came over and we just watched T.V., talked, laughed, you know. . . But this time, something was different, ya' know? I don't even remember most of it. I just remember him leaning to kiss me and I pulled away. I-I couldn't hurt Danny. I loved Danny. I-I. . ." The woman cried as the scene played over in her head, and there was nothing to do to stop it.

She rested her elbows on the table, burying her head in her propped up hands, muffling her cries.

Steve sighed and reached out, grabbing the woman's small, fragile looking hands in his own. Her touch was soft, gentle like; her skin as smooth as a baby's bottom. "Rachel, hey," The woman looked up with her tearstained eyes. "You gotta' tell me. . . I know it hurts, I know," He nodded, "But I need to know the rest of the story and what you want me to do about it. Can you do that?"

The woman sniffed and let out a shaky breath. Her hands trembled, Steve noticed. "H-he forced himself on me, Steve. I fought back. At first I pushed him away, but he came after me. Almost as if he was a whole 'nother person. He pinned me on the bed and—" More sobs. They cut the woman's story short as she cried.

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. When he re-opened them, he noticed Rachel leaning forward, and he did the same, speaking in a tense whisper. "Rachel," He started, searching her eyes, "Finish."

"Isaac raped me that night, Steve. . . He left me there, crying and shaking, naked on that bed. I felt dirty. . . but what hurt the most, was knowing what I had done to Danny. I _loved _him, Steve. And when you love somebody, sex – among a bunch of other things – helps you prove that love." Rachel took a deep breath and stared at the dark haired man in front of her. He had yet to blink, his eyes boring into hers, utterly focused.

The woman sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Nine months later, Grace was born." Steve visibly tensed, as he placed his hands on the table.

"Rachel. . ."

"No, _no_," She shook her head, already knowing what Steve was going to say. "It was a scare, and at first I thought the baby was his, was Isaac's; but it wasn't. Grace was definitely Danny's."

"This all sounds. . ._horrible_," Steve mumbled. He leaned forward in the booth, speaking in a tense whisper. "But why do you need me?"

"I. . .I'm being _followed _Steve. I know its Isaac. I know it's him, and you've got to understand now why I can't tell Danny."

". . .Because he doesn't know about the rape," Steve nodded, fully understanding. "But how do you know it's Isaac?" Rachel sighed as she pulled out her iPhone, resting it on the table. She typed in the four number password –

_1 – 3 – 5 – 6 _

Steve noted the number as Rachel went to voicemail and hit play.

_"Rachel Edwards? Long time no see. . .How's Danny? How's Gracie? Look, I just wanted to let you know that I __**tried **__to have your baby the __**first **__time, and it didn't work out. . . I'm going to __**find **__you and try again. Whether you like it or not. I will __**kill **__Grace – we can forget all about her and start a whole new family."_

Steve looked up at Rachel before speaking. "What does he mean?"

"H-he wants to try and have a baby with _me _Steve. He wants to hurt me again. . . He wants to kill Grace. . . and if I don't cooperate, he could kill me. I'm not safe in my own house anymore."

"Does he still work with the Police Department?"

"No, um. . . A little while after Grace was born they found out Isaac had a little mental problem and he got kicked off the force."

The SEAL sighed, assessing the situation. "So, this man that raped you many years ago finds out your in Hawaii – with Grace – and wants to come here, kill Grace, rape you, and start a new family?"

"Yes."

"And you need _my _personal help because Danny doesn't know about the rape – you don't want him to know – and because. . .?"

"I need it, Steve."

Steve groaned and stood up. "Oh, what the hell." Rachel stood up after him, grabbing her purse.

"So what happens now?"

The Five-0 leader just simply shoves his hands deep in his pockets, before smiling a goofy, childlike grin. "Looks like for the meantime, you're moving in with me, Mrs. Edwards."


	3. Chapter 3: Temporary Housing

**A/N:**Once again, I want to thank you guy's for all the reviews. I hope you are enjoying the story. If you have _any _ideas on the story, please message me. I would love to hear them, I might even use them! I also want you to know that this story takes place somewhere in Season 2 since I haven't seen Season 3 yet.

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own _Hawaii Five-0, _but if I did, we would definitely have more shirtless Steve scenes.

* * *

**Secrets**

Chapter Three: Temporary Housing

"You don't know how thankful I am for this, Steven." Rachel Edwards sighed as she set down her suitcase in the guest bedroom of Steve's house. The room was cluttered with clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

"It's uh. . .It's fine," Steve smiled, out of breath. He set the two suitcases down on the carpeted floor, wincing as the pain in his shoulder intensified. Rachel noticed.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled standing up. The woman quickly rushed over to Steve, taking the two black suitcases that sat beside him, and brought them over to his bed. "I didn't know you were hurt."

"Long story," He mustered another smile before turning and walking towards the door. "Hey, you get unpacked and come downstairs, okay?" Rachel nodded before turning around and unzipping her suitcase, along with Grace's. Steve looked behind him a second longer before turning and jogging down the steps.

Grace sat on the floor of his living room, keeping herself occupied. Two Barbie dolls sat in each hand. From where Steve stood, her words were inaudible, but from what he could tell, Barbie was going to get married.

Steve smiled to himself as he walked into the room, sitting down on the floor. He used his sofa as a backrest as the eight year old – pigtails and all – continued to play with her toys, undisturbed. "Uncle Steve?"

"Yeah, Grace?"

The little girl paused her game and turned to look at her Uncle Steve. "Mommy say's that I'm not allowed to tell Danno that I'm staying with you. Why?" Steve sighed. He wasn't the best with children, so he chose his words carefully.

"Your Mommy loves you very much, Grace—" The lean man sighed, resting his back against the sofa and crossing his arms. Shifting his position, he got on his knees and eased the male doll out of the eight year olds hands. She giggled as Steve began to play with her, still trying to explain the situation. "You know what?"

"What?"

"Mommy and Uncle Steve are playing a game. . ." It was a lie, yes; and he hated himself for it, but he couldn't explain this type of situation to an innocent little girl. "If Danno finds out you're staying here, you lose. If he doesn't find out, you win."

A mysterious smile crept upon the little girls face, her eyes glistening at the sound of a fun game. "What's in it for me?" Steve thought about it before smiling.

"If you win, Uncle Steve will buy you ten packs of gummy worms."

"Is that all?"

"—ugh, fine, _and _five packs of skittles. We have a deal?"

Grace nodded, satisfied. "Deal, Uncle Steve!"

Mission accomplished.

He handed the doll back to Grace before walking into the kitchen, only to be met by Rachel. The young woman stood in front of the refrigerator, hands on her hips. Her outfit suited her nicely; a plain white top and a pair of black yoga pants. Ankle high socks were on her feet, her hair in a messy bun. _Boy, was Danny a lucky guy, _Steve thought.

"How long are you going to stand behind me and check out my ass, McGarrett?" The woman turned and looked over her shoulder, a sly smile on her face. Steve laughed from his place in the doorway.

"Most people don't notice me when I sneak up behind them," He said, walking into the kitchen. The SEAL scooted one of the four seats around the kitchen table out, and sat in it.

Wincing was one of the things he did on a daily basis now. At just the slightest movement, his shoulder or abdomen would flare in pain; but he simply gritted his teeth and moved on. Rachel tilted her head to the sighed, studying the man in front of her. "You're hurt."

"Is it that obvious?" Steve questioned, wincing again. He offered Rachel a painful smile.

"It's uh. . .it's pretty evident," She smiled. "Here, let me get you something for the pain."

"I don't have any pain medicine, actually."

Rachel chuckled as she dug into her purse, pulling out a bottle of Advil. She tossed it and watched it hurtled through the air, then land in the hands of the Navy SEAL. McGarrett looked up at her, confused. "What?" She shrugged, "I'm a woman, a mother. . . I keep plenty of things in my purse."

"What else 'ya got there?" Steve asked, smiling a little as he nodded towards the black purse on the table. Rachel laughed.

"Um. . . my keys, phone, scissors, pens, my license, money—"

"No handgun?"

Rachel laughed again, grabbing her purse and zipping the purse up. "You, Steven, are a funny guy."

"Thanks," He shrugged, chuckling a little.

Rachel nodded as she sat down in a chair opposite of the Commander. He smile was gone, and in its place were a couple of frown lines. "What do we do now?" She asked, looking up to meet Steve's blue eyes. He sighed and brought his hand up to his face, running his hand along the stubble on his chin.

"We wait, well. . ._you _wait. I go after this bitch that's bothering you."

"Yeah, but what about my job?"

"Do you know how much vacation time you've collected?"

"Four weeks," She replied quickly, nodding.

"Good, call them . . . Use it. All of it. After your done with that, you just relax. I'll track down Isaac and stop him from doing anymore damage."

Silence filled the room next as Steve slid out of his seat. He ran his hand through his hair, making the short ends stand up. "Steve," The voice was small, almost inaudible. It was a whisper, coming from a shaky voice. He turned around, his eyes landing on the woman that sat at the table. When his eyes met hers, she continued. "You can't go to Five-0 with this. . ."

"Rachel, Five-0 is my family, okay? So keeping _this—" _He pointed at her, then at Grace who sat on the sofa now, sleep, "—is going to be hard to keep from them. But I'm going to try my best. That's all I can give you. I'll reach out to some of my friends in the Navy, they can use their resources to dig up something about this guy. . .I can't truly _promise _that Danny won't find out, but I'll try and keep it away from him. Okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Steve." He replied back with a curt nod, before turning and walking out into the foyer, then up the steps. He took them one at a time, not daring to take them two – or even three – at a time, like usual.

Reaching his bedroom, he threw his pillow off of his bed and grabbed his service weapon. He tucked the gun near his lower back, clipping it to his belt. Next he changed his white tee-shirt, to a black one. Then he made his way back downstairs, slipping his feet into a pair of construction boots.

He found himself in the kitchen again, Rachel still sitting where he had left her. "I'm going to Head quarters," He announced, walking over to the fridge he opened the door and grabbed his leftover fried shrimp from Kamekona's, as a snack for the quick drive.

"Okay. I called my work and they approved my leave."

"Great," Steve smiled, shooting her a smile in between taking a bite of shrimp. He stopped now under the doorway and turned around, Rachel's eyes cast downwards. He sighed before shoving another shrimp into his mouth. "Listen, Rachel. . . You go in there—" He nodded towards the living room, "—and relax with Grace. I'll be back this evening."

Rachel nodded before standing up and slowly making her way out the room. Before she passed McGarrett, her turned and rested his hands on her shoulders. He looked her in the eye and with the upmost confidence whispered, "I'm going to find this bastard, Rachel, and I'm going to kill him."

"But you can't shoot at him unless he shoots at you first." She mumbled. Steve laughed.

"Well let's just hope he shoots first, 'cause I'm going to blow that bastard up." He turned to leave, but Rachel grabbed his wrist.

"Why are you doing this?" She searched his eyes for answers, but found it impossible. Steve McGarrett was a hard man to read. But there was something he was hiding, something that he wouldn't tell people.

He sighed.

"The woman that makes Danny happy makes me happy to."

". . ._makes? _Wait, are you saying Danny still—"

Steve laughed out loud, but quickly quieted down when he saw Grace flinch from the couch. He didn't want to wake her. Steve pretended to zip his lips before turning and walking out his door, leaving Rachel to wonder.

* * *

All was quiet on the floor of Five-0's office. Nobody walked through the offices, nobody spoke, and no phones rang. The smart table – along with the televisions – were powered off. The three current on-duty agents of the Five-0 task force sat in their own personal offices. Their lunch sandwiches sat on their desks, cold.

The three of them were busy, filing paperwork. Danny typed rapidly on the computer, sending the documents to his printer. He stapled the stack of papers together before signing his name and placing it off to the side – waiting to get its final approval, the final signature, of Steve McGarrett. Danny had been doing this since noon.

The missing person's case was over before it had even started. The team had gotten out there, only to find the young girl wrapped in her mother's arms. The case had been reassigned to the H.P.D, sending Five-0 right back to where they came from.

Around one, Kono offered to go get lunch. She stopped at a sub place around the corner, ordering for herself, Chin, and Danny.

Detective Williams was in the middle of another report before a flash of black moved in the corners of his eye. He looked up and saw Steve walk through the doors of the Five-0 office.

"Yo!" Danny called. Steve stopped and turned to look at Danny through the glass window. "Really man?"

The confused SEAL sighed as he opened the glass door leading to Danny's office. He hadn't expected anyone to be here, assuming they were off on a case. "Yeah?" He asked, leaning in.

"I thought a near death experience would improve your style," Danny motioned towards Steve's attire with his hand, smiling. "I should've known better. You and those pants. . ."

"Missed you to, Buddy," Steve nodded upwards before slapping the glass gently, signaling his leave. Danny smiled before looking back at his computer, but only for a moment.

"No, no, no, no!" He darted out of his seat, rushing towards his closed door. He forgot for a split second that the door was 'pull', instead of 'push'. He quickly corrected himself, yanking at the door and skidding out into the hallway. "Kono! Chin!"

The two other officers poked their heads out their offices. "What is—" The sound of dangling keys made the three of them turn towards McGarrett, who was opening the door to his office.

"Oh, crap." Kono mumbled.

They all took off after Steve, but they couldn't stop him before he opened his office door and took a step in. Everything was in place, everything except the window, which was open.

Kono, Chin Ho, and Danny flanked Steve, defeated. They looked in over his shoulder as he turned around. "Who's been in my office?"

"Told you," Danny mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets. Kono stood up, taking the blame.

"It was me, Boss. Um. . . someone had been calling you all morning and I wanted to help them get in contact with you."

Instead of getting upset, which Danny was sure would happen, Steve nodded, his shoulders slumping. "Oh. . .Well thank you, Kono." He turned back around and walked over to his desk, sitting down in his seat. "Did you happen to listen to my voicemails to?"

"Uh. . ."

"How'd you know?" Danny asked. He didn't care, they were made; Steve knew they had gotten into his office. Steve shrugged.

"I didn't. I was just asking an innocent question."

Chin resisted the urge to slap Danny across the head. He turned back to their boss. "Yeah, we only listened to three of the eight or so messages. One was from Governor Denning."

"What did he say?" Steve wondered aloud as he shifted through the many papers on his desk. Danny piped in.

"He uh. . . wanted to tell you that he was going away and to not blow up the island."

"Fair enough," Steve laughed, "And the other two?"

"One from Catherine. . ." Kono nodded, "But we didn't listen to it all."

". . .And uh. . ." Danny cleared his throated, rocking back and forth on his toes. "One from Rachel."

"Mmm," was the leaders only reply. "Thanks guys, I'm only going to be here for a minute, so why don't you guys go finish your work."

"Thanks, Boss," Kono nodded. She turned and walked out the room, Chin on her heels. However, Danny remained. The room fell silent as Steve grabbed a folder off his desk, flipping through it.

He knew Danny hadn't left the room, but was waiting for him. Steve sighed and looked up from the folder.

"What's bothering you, Daniel?"

Danny sighed before turning and closing the office door. He walked across the office and sat down on the leather chair, facing Steve. The Jersey native leaned forward, folding his hands, and sighing deeply. "Why was Rachel calling you?"

"She was worried about you," Unlike most people, Steve could look right into someone's eye and lie, _straight _to their face. He couldn't tell Danny the real reason why Rachel, his ex-wife, was calling him.

Danny bought it, nodding. "That all?"

"If there was more, I would've told you." Steve replied. The Five-0 leader reached for his corded phone, his fingers dialing a number he had memorized by heart. He watched his partner nod in front of him. "This is a uh. . .an important call. You mind?" The words came out soft, even for Steve. Danny nodded, inwardly cursing at himself for assuming something had been going on with Steve and Rachel.

"Hello, Sir. This is Lieutenant Commander Steven McGarrett. I would like to speak to Catherine—"

Danny closed the doors behind him as Steve started his call.

As he walked back to his office, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being lied to and manipulated by one of the closest people in his life. But as he sat down in his office chair, he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind, ready to worry about them later.


End file.
